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1. I have learned to make decent web graphics thanks to RealDraw
2. To assemble the HTML with kompozer
3. Learn CSS is not intuitive but you have to begin with it, it is vital.
4. Also you find a very nice CSS book in Sitepoint.
5. A lot of examples and Advanced CSS stuff in Paul O'Brien's Site

By the way cook, don't do what I did "learn by myself by trial and error" that is very time consuming, and time is money. Invest something in your training, I would recommend to study first the links I posted before, and take the fast track with this sitepoint book.

You must first choose a tool. Is price a constraint? Then choose Gimp. Can you spend 700$ on a graphics software? Are you planning to stay a long time in this field? Then your best bet is Photoshop.

Now, let's say you obtain one of those tools. What do you do next? You click around. You experiment. You explore. You try and understand what each tool does. What effects is has on the "Canvas". If you are thinking "What's a canvas?", you simply go and search for that on Google. Then you will understand.

This is what you are supposed to do whenever you hear any unfamiliar Jargon. "Google is not your enemy. Google is your friend, Google is your Ally. USE Google."

Then, you go and purchase a book. Sitepoint has a lot of good books. Read a book and understand. This will help you understand what all the tools and settings do. Though you may have a vague idea of what each tool's setting did, reading a book will help you to clearly define and understand what exactly the function of each tool is.

Then, you go and read online tutorials. A book cannot teach you everything. It can only teach you where the steering, acclerator and brakes are, and what they do. But online tuts take this a bit further, and teach you how to take "that sharp curve down the road" with ease and elan.

Finally, you start dissecting other inspiring websites. You look at them and try to figure out how they look so good, or what makes them tick. You try and replicate the same effects by your own, and maybe take them a bit further and add a little something the original author forgot to...

At this stage, you also need to begin participating in online graphics contests. They give you a challenge, and you are expected to complete it. On the way, you learn a lot of stuff you didn't know, and you also get the great honor if you do win the contest. Fair deal, I would say.

And at any point of time during these steps, if you have any question at all that Google cannot seem to answer, or a question that you need to pose to a human, and not a search bot, you come here, straight to site point forums, where zillions helpful people are waiting to answer well-posed questions.